


We Are Champions

by DragonRiderSisters



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Disney - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, American Football, Cameos, Cheerleaders, Crossover, F/M, Mentions of DC Heroes, Mentions of Dreamworks, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2020-05-15 16:56:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19299895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonRiderSisters/pseuds/DragonRiderSisters
Summary: HighSchoolAU! Marvel High's football team has finally made it to the championships for the first time in decades. They now face their greatest opponents yet, and the odds are stacked against them, yet they are determined to win. But to do so, they have to learn that sometimes, champions are made not by will alone but by the support, friendship, and teamwork of those around them.Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net on February 12th, 2017.





	1. The Morning Before the Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Wahoo!" Clint exclaims joyously as he jumps up and pumps his fist in the air.
> 
> "Dude, chill-out will ya," Bucky says exasperatedly as he places his gear down, "It's way too early for this s**t."
> 
> "Come on Barnes! We are finally in the championships! How are you not excited?!"
> 
> "Oh, he's excited. He just knows how to control himself when it's 7:20 in the morning on a Saturday," another voice chimes in, prompting both teens to face Sam Wilson as he walks towards them.
> 
> "Pssh, whatever. I'm going to celebrate our dreams coming true," Clint then jumps into a small happy dance while Sam and Bucky chuckle at the sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers! FD here with another story. This one a high school American football au. I wrote this story about more than 2 years ago, after watching SuperBowl LI and a ton of American-football-themed movies over my winter break. Some of the most notable ones were 'Friday Night Lights', 'Carter High', 'We Are Marshall', and 'Invincible'. I'd absolutely loved them and decided to write this story inspired by those movies.
> 
> Some of this story has also been inspired by my time working for my own high school football team. I understand, though, that not all high school football teams may operate in the same manner. So if something seems different from what you are used to (if you either play or work for a high school football team), it might be because my high school did things differently. 
> 
> And one last note, even though I'd learned a great deal about American football from both my time working for my high school team and from my own research (Ie the Internet and my dad), I am still in no way an expert. So I apologize ahead of time for any inaccuracies. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing. All rights to characters and properties belong to Marvel Studios and Disney, and no profit is being made from this story.
> 
> Whew...with all that out of the way. Let's get started.

"Wahoo!" Clint exclaims joyously as he jumps up and pumps his fist in the air.

"Dude, chill-out will ya," Bucky says exasperatedly as he places his gear down, "It's way too early for this s**t."

"Come on Barnes! We are  _finally_  in the championships! How are you not excited?!"

"Oh, he's excited. He just knows how to control himself when it's 7:20 in the morning on a Saturday," another voice chimes in, prompting both teens to face Sam Wilson as he walks towards them.

"Pssh, whatever. I'm going to celebrate our dreams coming true," Clint then jumps into a small happy dance while Sam and Bucky chuckle at the sight.

"So where's Steve? And everyone else for that matter," Sam asks Bucky who is one of the first players to arrive at school.

"Well, I guess we're a bit early," Bucky replies as he checks his watch, "Coach said that he is opening the school at 7:45, and the meetings start at 8:20, so everyone else should be coming along. I called Steve this morning, and he said that he has to drive his mom to work since her car broke down."

Sam shrugs, "Oh well. I just hope that everyone gets here soon, it's kinda awkward just standing here."

Just as those words left his mouth, another car pulls up and parks in the parking lot, and out comes none other than Brock Rumlow, an offensive linebacker and major pain in the ass for some of the players.

"'sup fellas," Brock says with a smirk that just screams 'I don't give a s**t'.

"Not much Rumlow," Bucky seethes through gritted teeth.

"T'aw come on Barnes. Don't tell me you're still sore over that one incident."

" _Incident_?! You practically allowed that tackle, Flash, to mow me down…and let's not forget how you didn't bother to stop Wayne from sacking Steve."

Brock just raises his hand in a 'stop' gesture, "Hold it…it was not my fault that  _you_  couldn't dodge a simple tackle or stop him with that robotic arm of yours for that matter, and I said I was sorry…"

Bucky's prosthetic arm tenses as the young man tries to hold himself back, "No you didn't. You nearly cost us the  _game_  you little…"

"Alright, that's enough you two," Sam jumps in to separate the two teammates, "That game is over and done with and we won…"

"Only by a field goal…" Bucky practically growls.

"A win is a win. And right now, we need to be civilized and work together if we want to win the championships."

"Spoken like a true captain," another voice, this one much more feminine, joins in. This makes all the guys turn to face Maria Hill, who must have arrived while they were talking. "I'm with Sam on this guys. You two better behave or I can make coach bench you both."

"Come on Maria, you wouldn't do that," Bucky huffs.

"I wouldn't bet on it," Clint joins the group of friends. This pacifies Bucky, and both he and Brock shrink back at Maria's glare. No one messes with Coach Fury's number one assistant. Though she originally started off as a water-girl, Fury became impressed with her knowledge and strategic mind and made her his right-hand woman, a decision that got them to where they are today.

As Brock grumbles and slinks away to go on his phone, the remaining group of friends exchange some idle chatter to pass the time. Eventually, more of their teammates, along with the coaches and assistants, begin to arrive. The first to arrive is Coach Fury, who greets them curtly as he opens the school and allows the boys into the locker room to change. He and Maria, on the other hand, go into the coaches' office to go over the plays for the game. Then the Maximoff twins arrive, Pietro heading to the locker room while his sister waits outside, followed by Rhodey, T'Challa, Peter Parker, and Scott Lang.

Thor Odinson is the next to come in with a boisterous bellow as the captain and defense tackle greets his friends joyfully. Loki follows close behind, but heads off on his own to change. The younger Odinson just rolls his eyes at his brother. Being the back-up defense tackle, he is rarely called in to play...and he is seriously wondering why he joined the stupid football team in the first place.

After Thor is Bruce, who greets his friends quickly before getting out all the gear and equipment from the storage room. Personally, Bruce is not much of a sports fan overall and prefers a good, relaxing book over running into each other and taking each other down, but somehow his friends got him into becoming the ball boy/head water boy for a lack of better terms.

After a few more of their teammates arrived, the core of the special team finally comes in as a group. This group consists of Grant, Lance, Mack, Lincoln, Triplett, Robbie Reyes, and Johnny Gill. They are the best kickers and linemen for the job and they know it. Though they may seem mismatched and aren't really friends during school, they are like a well-oiled machine on the field. Their opponents stood no chance against this group...this shield. Following the group is defense coach Coulson, who gives a cheerful smile towards Sam, Bucky and the rest of their group before heading into the coaches' office with Fury and Maria.

The next to arrive is Tony Stark, who comes into the locker room with a flourish in his expensive two-piece suit and red tinted sunglasses. "Hello, guys! Tony Stark...has arrived," he flashes a bright smile that would make any girl swoon, but for his teammates, they just roll their eyes. It's a common occurrence for the eccentric son of multi-billionaire Howard Stark to act grand and just show-off. It has been one of the greatest mysteries of Marvel High as to why Tony bothers to join the football team when it is obvious he would much rather be part of the engineering and robotics clubs. When confronted about this issue, he just waves it away and continues on his merry way. But still, he is one of the best cornerbacks they have.

Not bothering to change into his gear, he joins his friends and throws an arm over Bruce's shoulders as the said teen checks through the list of equipment, "So Brucie, you goin' to the 'Yea-we-just-won-the-f**king-championships-for-the-first-time-in years' celebration party at my place later today? Whole team's comin'. Oh, and Buck, how's that arm of yours doin'?"

"It's great actually, I can't thank you enough for the new upgrades," Bucky demonstrates his new, upgraded prosthetic arm's mobility. Having lost his arm years ago in an accident, Bucky believed that he could never play another sport again, even with the simple prosthetic his parents bought him. But when he and Steve transferred to Marvel High, Tony offered him a new arm if he agrees to be a test subject for the said robotic arm. And the rest is history. Bucky can play, and Tony continuously upgrades and tests the tech for no charge.

"No prob buddy. So Bruce…"

"You should come,  _no one_  wants to miss a Stark party," Bucky chuckles as he packs up his remaining stuff and prepares to head out towards the sports trainer's room to get bandaged up, "Say, has Helen come in yet?"

"Yea, I just saw her," Grant says as he steps in. Bucky thanks him and heads out.

"Though, that's quite a mouthful for a name Stark," Clint says as he too prepares to head out.

"Ay, but his festivities are certainly the most anticipated events of the year, next to my own…" Thor adds with a smirk, to which Tony responds indignantly.

"Now, what is that suppose to mean?!"

"I don't know Tony…I promised Betty I would take her out today….and besides…what if we…"

Tony lets out a loud laugh and grasps both Bruce's shoulder with both his hands, "Bruce! Just bring Betty to the party! Besides, all the girls are coming, and more! And oh ye of little faith…you really doubt that we can win?!"

" _No_!... I mean…one can never know for certain…"

"Bruce," Sam gets his attention, "don't worry man, we got this in the bag."

"Yea, besides, if by the minute of a percent chance that we lose, I can just rename the party 'Oh-well-we-tried-and-there's-always-next-year'. We can feel sorry for ourselves while drinking and having strippers dance on our…"

"Tony!" Bruce and Sam exclaim, while Thor bursts into laughter.

The next few minutes saw the arrival of several more players, and the locker room quickly becomes crowded and loud as the guys chat with friends, laugh, and cheer for their success. Those that have already changed head to the trainer's room to get bandaged up or to grab some bandages to do it themselves. Others crowd the hallway in front of the locker rooms, taking pictures, eating breakfast from a table full of sandwiches, and/or just having a good time. All are confident in their ability to win.

As scheduled, the individual team meetings start right at 8:20, beginning with the JV offense and defense. As the varsity team waits their turn, they filled the time quiet talk. Sam, Pietro, and Clint all end playing catch with a rogue football in the gym as they wait for their turn. Tony decides to finally change into his gear; Bucky stretches and does a bit of tai chi; Bruce, Fitz, Darcy, Ian, and Harley start making the Gatorade and ice water; and Thor meets-up with the rest of the main defense line and friends.

"Can you guys believe that for some of us, this is our last game together as a team?" Sam decides to break the silence in the gym.

"I know. I mean me, Thor, Bruce, Tony, and Bucky…we're all graduating this year," Clint replies with a shake of his head, "I'm seriously going to miss Marvel High."

"Have you decided what college you're going to play for?" Pietro asks curiously.

"Don' know if I'm going to college, to be honest," Clint answers, "Was hopin' to join the army or somethin', maybe Marines."

"That's awesome man. If it's something you want to do, go for it," Sam smiles encouragingly.

"Yea. It's just that the idea kinda makes Laura uncomfortable, and I don't know to be honest," Clint shrugs sadly, throwing the ball to Pietro.

"I agree with Sam, just go for it." Clint just shrugs and watches as the fastest player on their team throws the ball to Sam, "What about after football? I know I'm doing track and field."

"Of course you are Quicksilver," Sam replies with a knowing smirk, "I'm hopin' to get into basketball, but I heard the X-Men are really picky with their players."

"Don't bother Sam, you'll have better luck getting into almost any other team in this school," Clint adds with a grimace, "For me, I'm going for the decathlon or archery."

Both Sam and Pietro blow a simultaneous whistle. The silence of the gym is then shattered by the arrival of the cheerleaders, drawing the attention of all the guys in the room. Tony, who had entered the gym, goes over and gives Pepper a solid hug, while Thor and his friends go over to greet Jane and Sif, and Clint goes over to Natasha, who gives him a fist bump.

"Hey, is Steve here by any chance?" Natasha asks after looking around the otherwise empty gym.

"No, thought you would know actually," but a shake of her head tells Clint that she doesn't know where their friend is either.

The cheer coach, Victoria Hand, then enters with her student assistant, Laura, and tells the rest of the cheerleaders to go change and get ready. After a few parting waves, and a goodbye kiss between Clint and Laura, all the girls headed into the girl's lock room, while the one boy cheerleader, Sitwell, heads to the boy's locker room.

A few minutes later, Maria comes running up to the group of friends, "Guys, have you seen Steve? Special team's almost done and offense is up next."

"No I haven't," Sam answers with worry evident in his voice.

"Steve just texted me. Said he is stuck in traffic and should get here in a few more minutes," Bucky offers after checking his phone, having finished his exercise earlier.

"Well tell him to get his ass here soon…" Maria says before heading back to the meeting.

True to his words, Steve just managed to arrive at school in the nick of time, only for Maria to drag him to face a ticked-off Coach Fury. After a quick reprimand over his tardiness, Fury tells him to put his stuff away before heading to the meeting. In the locker room, Sam, Bucky, Clint, Tony, Thor, and Bruce meet-up with him, all asking what took him so long.

"Sorry guys," Steve apologizes quickly as he shoves his jacket into his locker, "There was some heavy traffic on the way here. Plus I had to head back home since I forgot my cell."

"Well, whatever man. It's good that you are here. We gotta have our star quarterback now do we," Sam chuckles as he and Bucky throw their arms over Steve's shoulders.

"Come on guys, you don't  _really_  need me," Steve says bashfully, earning him some scoffs from his friends.

"Are you serious!? Dude, we would have gotten our asses handed to us last year by  _Dreamworks_  of all schools, if you haven't stepped in after Marv Vell broke his arm," Clint exclaims.

"Plus you gave us one of the best seasons Marvel has ever had in a  _long_  time," Bucky adds, giving Steve a small noogie, "and when you're only a sophomore too."

"Ay, our captain has never let us down and will continue to do us proud," Thor throws his arms around the trio and gives them one of his suffocating bear hugs, "You shall lead us to  _victory_!"

"Yea!" they all cheer. Steve blushes some more as he untangles himself from his friends.

"Steve, you better get going before Fury gets more...well…furious," Bruce reminds Steve, who acts like he just got hit by a bolt of lightning and rushes out of the room, followed by Sam, Bucky, and Clint.

"As if Fury would ever get mad at our golden boy," Tony mutters to Bruce as the two head back to the hallway with Thor.

Bruce smirks, "True. Well, I guess I better get going and move all the stuff outside for when the buses get here."

Tony cringes at the mention of getting into a tight school bus with all the rest of the players, "Ugh, I hate those buses." Then a mischievous grin appears on his face, and Bruce could only wonder what Tony is up to.

A few minutes later, sleek, elegant, air-conditioned,  _coach_  buses arrived to pick them all up.

"Now this is how you travel like football players," Tony gestures to the buses, only to bend over laughing at the gaping faces of all the players, coaches, cheerleaders, and assistants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that's how you travel indeed! Man, I wish my school had a Tony Stark lol. Let me just say, that in the two seasons that I've worked for my high school team, only for the last few games of my senior year did we actually get brand-new school buses to travel in. *sigh* But oh well, I had fun, and it was quite an experience.
> 
> Now, I am curious: If you've worked (or are working) for a high school sports team, what's the most facepalming experience you've ever had? Feel free to share in the comments below. And if I get enough replies, this can be something I can do every chapter, where I ask a question, and we all share our stories and experiences in a fun manner. 
> 
> So, until next time. This is FD signing off. 
> 
> Peace! ❤


	2. To the Coliseum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The drive to the stadium was mostly done in silence, with everyone mentally preparing for the big game as it looms all the more closer. Also most are just enjoying the spacious luxury of the coach bus for the first time since ever. Fury, Maria, and Coulson continue to go over all the plays, while Coach Phillips chats with Steve and Bucky. Bruce and Tony chatted quietly about an upcoming robotics expedition coming up and Tony wants that to be when he shows his preliminary prototype for Project Ultron.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter! And right in the midst of the NFL preseason. 
> 
> Not too much happening this chapter other than some background info on our characters as they ride to the football field, but I hope you guys can still enjoy. 
> 
> So, without further ado...

The drive to the stadium was mostly done in silence, with everyone mentally preparing for the big game as it looms all the more closer. Though, most are just enjoying the spacious luxury of the coach bus for the first time since ever. Fury, Maria, and Coulson continue to go over all the plays, while Quarterback Coach Phillips chats with Steve and Bucky. Bruce and Tony chat quietly about an upcoming robotics expedition coming up, and Tony wants that to be when he shows his preliminary prototype for Project Ultron.

"You do know that at this rate, robots are going to take over the world right?" Pietro jokes as he leans forward on the backrest of the Science Bros' seat, bending over to look at the pair from above, "Imagine the headlines:  _Ultron breaks free of Stark's control and kills every human being to rule over a dead planet_."

Bruce twists his body to look at the smirking teen, "Please Pietro, robots are far from being that sophisticated and besides…a robot apocalypse? That sounds like something out of a B-rated sci-fi movie."

The young man shrugs, "Hey, it could happen."

"Yes, and if it did, the Avengers will take care of it," Tony adds in with a smirk.

"How will our high school football team stop a giant, destructive robot?" Bruce asks indignantly, not sure how they are talking about this right now.

"I don't know. Besides, Ultron is supposed to help people, not destroy the world. I'm sure I would know how to program a robot to just help and not destroy."

"Okay, can I ask a question?" Scott asks the two from across the aisle, "Who the heck came up with the name, 'Ultron'?"

* * *

Meanwhile, with the cheerleaders, they are anything but quiet as they all chattered away about the game, the party, and what they're planning to do over Thanksgiving break. The only one not talking at all is Natasha as she texts encouraging words on her phone to Steve. They have known each other ever since he first transferred to Marvel High with Bucky. He was very shy and awkward, especially around girls, and that proved a challenge for her to get to know him. They only managed to talk to each other after being partnered up for a History project. It took a while, and a lot of persistence on her part, but she was able to slowly open him up, and the two have been friends since then.

Smiling wistfully at the happy memory, Natasha fails to notice the knowing smirks from her friends. Pepper is the first to speak up, "Thinkin' about a certain quarterback now aren't we?"

Natasha just smirks, "Yea. Tom Brady is quite a looker, and I'm just thinking up of ways to seduce him and make him mine."

Pepper and the rest of her friends laugh. "No doubt you have at least 10 strategies by now," Darcy says from her seat behind Natasha, causing her to smirk some more, "and if so can you please tell me, 'cause I'm desperate. And do you think it would work on Jared Goff?"

"Please, have you seen Cam Newton? He is a much bigger prize," Claire Temple speaks up, joining the discussion.

"I agree," Laura concurs, giggling, "he has a much cuter face."

"I don't know 'bout you girls, but I would love to 'get to know' Jimmy Garoppolo," Sharon adds with a sly smirk.

This, of course, spurs an entire discussion amidst the cheerleaders, and one water girl, over who is the hottest football player in the NFL. Most of the heat is taken off of Natasha, but Pepper hasn't forgotten, "You do know that I was talking about another golden boy, right?"

"Why does it matter Pepper?" Natasha asks with a sigh.

"It matters because my best friend just realized she's in love."

Natasha blushes madly at that, "Love's a bit strong...no...no, I'm not, besides…" she lets out a sad sigh, "…I think he likes Sharon. He deserves her, and not someone like …"

"Nat!" Pepper scolds quietly as to not draw any attention to them, "don't think like that. Steve so likes you. You've both been friends since he got here, and you are his closest friend outside of Sam and Bucky."

"Still…" Natasha gives Pepper a sad look, "it doesn't mean he  _likes me_  likes me."

"He might…"

"Just drop it 'kay? Just forget I said anything." Pepper didn't want to, but does and draws her friend into a sideways, comforting hug.

* * *

Back with the guys, things have quieted down even more as they draw nearer to the field. Even Tony stops talking in favor of looking out the window. They have worked all season to make it this far, and now is not the time to slack off. Their opponent is fierce, undefeated, and the previous year's champions. The pressure is especially on Steve, but a few words of encouragement from Natasha relax him, making him smile as he reads her texts. Bucky notices his friend's smile and smirks. Throwing an arm over Steve, Bucky chuckles, "You ready punk?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Steve puts his phone away and looks out the window, watching business establishments near the field roll by. To be honest, he is a nervous wreck. This is his first championship, and he doesn't want to let his team down. There are still many that doubted his abilities only because he is a junior, while their opponent's quarterback is a seasoned,  _senior_ , champion.

"Come on Steve. No need to worry, you have me, Sam, Clint, Thor, Tony, Pietro, Bruce, Natasha…we're all behind you all the way."

"Yea…but what about next year…"

"Don't worry about that now. Just…enjoy today and focus on winning…"

"I'm gonna miss ya Buck."

The said man chuckles, "You're acting as if I'm leaving right after the game. I'll still be here for the rest of the school year…"

"You know what I mean…" Steve knows that Bucky has always wanted to join the army. He does too, but he is still going to miss many of his friends when they are gone. Bucky doesn't say anything else, other than squeezing Steve's shoulders in comfort.

"Hey, guys! There's the stadium!" Fandral exclaims, making all the players peer out their windows towards the field. Many fidget with pure energy and excitement as well as nervousness as the towering structure of the LA Coliseum comes into view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo! So close to game time guys! I hope you're all excited for the next part! 
> 
> For this chapter, I drew some inspiration from my own personal experience as a football manager. Whenever I get a chance to travel to away games with the guys, it's almost always dead silent, with only a few whispered conversations. Heck, it's only if we win that things get rowdy lol. However, most of the time, the managers end up traveling with the cheerleaders, and boy... let's just say I could never really nap on that bus. No offense, though, to the cheerleaders from my school or to any cheerleader at all. I know that they are such fantastic and talented people, and I deeply respect them for what they do for the team during the games. Marvel's cheerleaders, though, will get their turn to shine during halftime, so stay tuned. 
> 
> Here are my questions of the chapter [because I just can't decide which to ask]: Which NFL team are you guys cheering for this season? And what is the craziest conversation you've heard while riding on the bus?
> 
> For me, the craziest conversation I've heard happened when a guy walked by the school bus, and the cheerleaders, who I and the other managers were traveling with, started fawning over the guy, saying how hot/cute he is and how he definitely checked them out. I had never cringed so hard in my life lol.  
> As for the NFL...LET'S GO PATS!!! LET'S GET A 7th RING!!!
> 
> ...I will run and hide now...bye!


	3. The First Half

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon arrival at the LA Coliseum, the football players, along with the cheerleaders and coaches, all head to their respected locker rooms to get ready. In order to separate the teams, each school gets a separate set of locker rooms on opposite sides of the field. Meanwhile, Bruce, Darcy, Ian, and Harley all get out the water jugs, water bottles, balls, and other gear and set them up on their side of the field.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone.
> 
> So as some of you guys can probably tell, the school year has officially started up again, and this means that while my updates will still occur weekly, it is unlikely that they'll be anything new per se. So most of my updates will be reposts of my older works like this one. 
> 
> With that said, let's jump right back in! Enjoy the first half of the game!

Upon arrival at the LA Coliseum, the football players, along with the cheerleaders and coaches, all head to their respected locker rooms to get ready. In order to separate the teams, each school gets a separate set of locker rooms on opposite sides of the field. Meanwhile, Bruce, Darcy, Ian, and Harley all get out the water jugs, water bottles, balls, and other gear and set them up on their side of the field.

Once the young boy puts down his crate of water bottles, Harley stretches and looks around at the massive football field. He could not help but stare in awe at the sheer structure of the place. Being from a small town, this is the biggest building he has ever been in, and he just has to know how such a foundation is built. In all his wildest dreams, he did not think he would be here of all places, but somehow he got talked into working for the football team by Tony when the older teen noticed his fascination for the sport. But then again, if  _the_  Tony Stark told him to be the mascot, he would have put on the costume in record time. Chuckling at memory of his first, embarrassing, meeting with the boy genius, Harley soaks in the warm rays of a beautiful day.

"Hey Harley, think you can help me refill these water bottles?" Ian calls over to the young boy, who smiles sheepishly and goes over to help his friend.

"Do you guys think we'll see any of the Rams?" Darcy asks nonchalantly as she organizes the gear.

"Highly unlikely," Bruce says briskly as he gets the charts and clipboards ready.

"It would be cool though," Leo adds with a chuckle, "to meet such celebrities I mean."

"Yea. 'kay Fitz, you got defensive plays, and I'll get offensive," Bruce hands the boy a separate clipboard to record all the defense plays.

"Nice," Leo takes the clipboard and tucks it under his arm. Though he isn't much of an American football fanatic, he needed the community service hours, and this is the easiest way to get it. He knew he shouldn't have left them all till the last minute, but … yea he has no excuse. He really should have heeded Jemma's advice.

"I'm going to set up the camera," Ian announces as he grabs the team's camera set, having finished with the water bottles. His main job is to record the game for analysis later on by the coaches, so he considers himself lucky that he gets to record everything from the safety of the commentator box and not on the sidelines where there is a huge chance of getting hit.

"Guys," Darcy calls everyone to get their attention while pointing across the field, "Look at who just arrived…"

* * *

In the girl's locker room, everyone is in a hustle to put on make-up, neaten their hair, and put their stuff away in the lockers. The air is thick with concentrated silence as everyone calms their nerves and stretches their taunt muscles. Though unofficial, there is a small competition between the two schools' cheer squads to see who will get the most cheers during the game and during halftime. The only prize is the pride for their schools, and that's all that matters.

"So are all of you guys going to Tony's party after this?" Pepper asks everyone curiously.

"Definitely," Lorelei answers with a nod. Everyone else nods in agreement. This causes the cheerleaders to murmur excitedly about the party, and take their mind off the game for a brief moment.

As Victoria goes over some final notes and talks to some of the girls, Laura runs up to the announcer booth/sound booth to give the operators a CD with the squad's music for their performance at halftime, along with some notes on when to play it.

"'Kay girls, lets head out to the field and warm up!" Victoria calls out, and all the girls leave the locker room and prepare for the show, "and can someone fetch Sitwell!"

* * *

Meanwhile, in the boy's locker room, everyone has changed into their gear and is filling the silence with idle chatter as low rock music plays in the background, courtesy of Tony. Everyone is also giving Steve pats on the back and words of encouragement, to which Steve is grateful for.

Bucky had gone to a meeting with a referee and an official to talk about his prosthetic arm and to go over the basic, agreed rules, like not using it to block or tackle any players. Tony is just talking with Rhodey and Peter and planning for the party later that day; Thor is with his friends, laughing and remembering the great season as well as talking about plans of going out with Sif and Jane later; and Sam, Clint, and Pietro stretch and pace the room.

All talking and the music are silenced when Coach Fury enters and calls them all out for warm-ups. But before the starters leave, he gives each of them their special wristbands with all the coded plays on them. As the guys go onto the field, they get their first look at their opponents. No words are exchanged between the teams as they both took their half of the field to practice and warm-up. The only words exchanged are between Coach Fury and their opponent's Coach Fergus, as both congratulate each other on a great season and wish each other the best of luck. There is still the fire of competition in both their eyes, and both know that they won't make winning an easy feat for the other.

As the stands begin to fill with fans, students, and families, both teams head inside for one last pre-game meeting. Gathered in a massive circle, all the players pay apt attention to Coach Fury, ignoring the cheers and loud chants of the crowds as the cheerleaders get them all riled up. After going over the plays one more time, Fury gives some last-minute words of encouragement,

"Now, I'm well aware that our opponent is good...legendary even. They won last year and had a clean record this year. But I honestly don't give a s**t. This has been one of  _the best_  seasons Marvel has  _ever_  seen in a long time, and it's not by just dumb luck," Fury looks into the eyes of each of his players, "it is because of the hard work you boys brought to the field every practice and every game, and I have never been more proud of all of you. For some, this is your last year in these uniforms, so make it count! Keep both eyes open and on the ball! Do your jobs and let's show the Knights what Marvel can really do." All the players jump up and cheer, gathering in a circle around Coach Fury and reaching in with one arm.

"Who are we!?" Sam yells.

"Avengers!"

"Who are we!?"

"Avengers!"

"Who are we!?"

" _Avengers!"_

With that final declaration, they all rush out of the locker room and run down the hall towards the bright afternoon light…

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the California High School State Championships!"

Helmets were put on and strapped in…

"It's a beautiful day today here at the LA Memorial Coliseum, the right weather to play some football!"

Shoelaces were tied and tightened…

"Our boys have worked long and hard to make it this far, and it looks like we're in for  _quite_  a show…"

Mouthguards are put in, wristbands are slipped one, and their breathing stills. Steve closes his eyes and waits for the announcer…

"So let's welcome visiting team, Marvel's The Avengers!"

And with that, the team surges forward. They rip through the banner with their logo on it and run onto the field, garnering cheers from their side and 'boos' from the other. As they ran, they ran by the cheerleaders as they all jump for joy and cheer. Sitwell even does a triple backflip that gets the audience going crazy. Following the team are the coaches, who head over to the benches to grab their headsets and double-check the gears with the assistants.

As the Avengers gather to their side, the announcer continues, "And ladies and gentlemen, let's give a big welcome to our home team and returning champions, the Disney Knights!" Their entrance is met with an equal, if not greater, cheer from the Disney side of the stadium. The massive Knights charged through their own banner and run down a pathway created by their own cheerleaders. Just the sight of their gigantic players nearly made those in Marvel cringe, but they have faced big opponents before, and this is no different.

Tony lets out a low whistle, "I can now see why they were the previous year's champions."

"No s**t Sherlock," Bucky mutters.

"Well, that was last year," Sam joins them as they watch the rambunctious Disney players finally settle down on their side, sending sneers towards them, "Most of their offensive line from last year graduated, along with their defense."

"The QB's still the same right?" Clint asks.

"Yea, I think it's Charming…" Rhodey provides, "Heard that his older brother use to be a star quarterback for Disney."

"So, basically the quarterback gene runs in the family," Tony smirks, "Good thing we have good ole' Stevie boy on our side."

"Sam!" Steve calls him over for a last-minute talk with Coach Phillips. This signal for all the other players to go through some final preparations.

Once everyone is settled, the announcer calls for everyone to stand for the National Anthem. All was silent as the song plays its melody. And at its end, the crowd cheers, and the captains of both teams walk towards the center where the ref stands with a coin.

Steve, Sam, and Thor stand shoulder-to-shoulder and face Disney's captains: Kristoff Bjorgman, Eugene "Flynn" Fitzherbert, Ralph Wreckit, and Kristopher Charming.

"Now, I want a fair and clean game. Alright, guys," the ref tells both sides, and the captains nod their heads in understanding. "Marvel, heads or tails?"

A quick look, and all three simultaneously say, "Tails."

"That leaves Disney with heads," the four captains nod. The ref then flips the coin in the air and catches it. It is…

Tails.

"We'll receive the ball," Steve declares right away. The ref nods and signals to the announcer as the captains head back to their side.

"And Marvel wins the coin toss and will be receiving the ball."

Both sides line up for kick-off, all tense and ready for the game to begin. As the whistle blows, Disney's kicker, Aladdin, runs up and kicks the ball high into the air. Moving with practiced ease, Peter Quill catches the ball and makes a run for it, seemingly flying across the field with no effort. He dodges left and right to avoid the coming Disney players, and is nearly taken down if it weren't for T'Challa taking down the lithe kid, named Bagheera, from behind. Quill is now so close, but Disney is pushing him to the sidelines, so he has to focus and run faster. Just when he is at the 10-yard line, a smaller kid named Kenai pounces and jumps onto his legs from behind, sending him down and into the sidelines. With a frustrated grunt, Quill slams the ball to the ground in anger before standing up, only to be crowded by his teammates as they pat his back and helmet happily.

"And what a start by Marvel, with Quill making it to the 10-yard line. An 80-yard run!"

"Offense team, let's move move move!" Nick calls out, and the team runs into the field. Coach gives a last-minute talk to Steve before the boy runs onto the field, making the stands ring with yells from the crowd.

After quickly scanning his chart, Nick calls, "Falcon run. B-6 Fly."

Maria, knowing the call, signals the players with special cards, while Bruce records the play for the archives. A quick look at their wristbands, and they all fall into formation. It's a risky move, but they are going for it anyway.

"Ready, set…hut!" Steve calls out and the ball is now in his hands. Backing up a bit, Steve's eyes fall on Sam, and he throws the ball fast and surely. As the ball sails through the air, a massive kid named Sullivan jumps up and knocks the ball off its trajectory, and it lands dead on the ground, making the pass incomplete.

"S**t!" Fury exclaims, and calls out the next play, "Falcon run again, but C-12!"

The guys got the message and line-up once again on the line of scrimmage for the 2nd down. Like before, Steve has the ball in his hands, runs to the left and throws it to Sam, who ran a different formation than before. This time, there is no interference as Sam catches the ball and easily makes it to the end zone. Touchdown!

Sam jumps in the air and slams the ball down before being surrounded by his friends. Their celebration ends quickly as they line up for the one-point conversion. Lance is able to easily kick the ball swiftly in between the uprights. The Marvel side of the stadium is absolutely elated and is going crazy as the scoreboard reads: Disney 0 and Marvel 7.

As the offense team heads off the field, Sam is surrounded again by his friends congratulating him. Darcy hands him a water bottle, which he takes gratefully, while Harley hands him a towel. They may be in the lead for now, but that has only been the first play, and Disney is not looking too cheerful anymore.

"Oh boy, we better be prepared," Tony mutters to Thor. The larger teen nods, and they both prepare to jump out onto the field for their turn.

And man was Tony right, and there were times when he hated it. Disney's offensive is truly brutal, and they nearly tore through Marvel's defenses. Wreckit and Sullivan gave Volstagg, Hogun, and Frandral a hard time as those running backs are just pure energy barreling towards them. Charming is also not going easy, and it is becoming more and more blatant that he is every bit, if not better, a quarterback than his brother. Disney's wide receivers are also swift and amazing, especially Pan and Lightyear, who both seem to be flying down the field at impossible speeds. Even Coulson is looking slightly flustered as he tries to call out some plays to counter those of Disney's, and Leo has to continuously jog back and forth just to keep up with the man.

When Tony sees Pan coming, he moves to intervene, but by some weird act against the laws of physics, Pan jumps almost 4…or was it 5…feet into the air and catches the ball, all while flipping over Tony and making a dash for the end zone.

"'kay, that can't be legal," Tony complains, but he is silenced by the deafening roar of Disney's side of the stadium. In no time at all, Disney ties the game: 7 to 7.

The rest of the first quarter is mostly just back and forth between Disney and Marvel. When one side gets a touchdown, the other does as well. By the end, each side has gained a total of 14 points, making them tie at 21 points.

"This is not going anywhere," Pietro mutters angrily while staring at the scoreboard.

"Tell me about it," Peter Parker says distractedly as he too stares at the scoreboard. He is just aching to get into the action and prove himself to coach, but with Sam, Clint, and Pietro ahead of him, it doesn't seem like he is going to get that chance anytime soon.

Pietro, in the meantime, is livid and pacing in front of the benches, trying to stay calm. On one hand, they aren't losing, but on another, they aren't winning. However, the audience didn't seem to care as they continue to cheer on encouragingly. Out of them all, he could just make out his sister's cheer and can just feel her strength and positive energy. He has always chalked it up to some weird twin-thing, but over time, he realizes that it is uniquely their thing.

So with his sister's encouragement, he strolls up to Coach Fury, "Coach, please put me on the field. I am much faster than any of their defense players."

Fury considers it for a moment and nods, "Fine. Sam! You and Pietro will switch!"

"Right coach," Sam nods as he backs down and Pietro steps up.

The second quarter starts with Disney having the ball. Coulson immediately calls, "Guardians Shield – front!" as soon as he sees a familiar play used earlier that involves the running back, Sullivan. Thor, and his friends line up in formation and are able to catch Sullivan, if barely.

That did not deter Disney, if anything, it fueled them. The next down, Charming himself runs the ball and manages to just barely to run far enough for a first down, having been tackled by Tony.

"Yea Tony!" Pepper cheers as her boyfriend jumps up off of the other teen and runs back to his teammates.

Disney still has the ball, and in the next play, Charming throws the ball to Kristoff, who is able to bypass Tony, Rhodey, and T'Challa and get Disney another touchdown. The Disney spectators are going nuts and their cheerleaders jump up and down, especially a red-head with a white streak in her hair, who runs over and embraces Kristoff in a massive hug. Disney quickly follows that touchdown with a successful extra-point kick.

"Alright, offensive team, GO!" Marvel's offense runs onto the field and lines up, except this time, Pietro is on the field instead of Sam.

"We'll start easy, let's do Soldier Attack F-20," Maria hears him loud and clear and signals it out. The guys get the message and line up, Bucky being right behind Steve. When the whistle blows, the ball is in Steve's hand. He pretends to look around for Pietro or Clint, but instead lets Bucky run by him and snatch the ball.

Not letting the acting slip, Steve pretends to throw the football in the opposite direction to draw some of the heat away from Bucky. Bucky, meanwhile, ducks underneath some players, but is ultimately taken down by a big, muscular kid named Hercules Olympus. Not deterred, Marvel lines up again for the next down.

"Silver Streak A-4!"

Steve nods and lines up, "Ready, set…hut!" He has the ball again and looks for Pietro. But to his horror, he could not find the speedster anywhere. Shaking his head, Steve turns to Clint, but it's too late as Smith sacks him. The hit isn't too bad, but he is still a bit dazed as Bucky helps him up. On the sidelines, Natasha cringes at the sight but knows that Steve can take a hit. Disney fans' loud cheer completely drowns out Marvel's groans.

"The f**k is he doing!?" Fury exclaims angrily as he rubs his face in frustration.

Out on the field, Pietro is reassured by his teammates, and he lines up for the 2nd down. This time, as Steve throws the ball, Pietro catches it effortlessly and is about to make it to the end zone, but to everyone's surprise, a small kid named Parr catches up to Pietro like it was nothing and knocks him down. At least they manage to gain a first down.

"Get Maximoff off! Wilson! You're back in!" Nick orders. With a nod, Sam goes back onto the field and tells Pietro to come in, who curses in Sokovian, but heads back to the sideline. There, Darcy tries to offer him a comforting smile as she hands him a water bottle and a towel, but it didn't do anything to improve his mood. Wanda sees this and feels bad for her brother, yet she knows that she can't do anything to help other than send comforting thoughts to him.

"Let's go Double Soldier R-4!"

At the whistle, Steve throws the ball, or so he seems. Instead, he runs in tandem with Bucky and discreetly exchanges the ball before Hercules takes down Steve. Bucky doesn't stop; instead, he keeps running, and the end zone is so close. He doesn't even notice someone was catching up to him, until he feels the boy knock the ball out of his grasp, grab it and makes a dash in the opposite direction. This turn of events surprised everyone, and Disney's loud cheer drowns out the pure distress of Marvel as they watch Pan run all the way for a touchdown.

Bucky feels numb and doesn't know what to do as he watches Disney kick another point.

And for the rest of the second quarter, Disney keeps on scoring. They got 2 more straight touchdowns, and almost got a field goal if it wasn't for Reyes. Steve got sacked twice more, while Rhodey was knocked unconscious by Wreckit, who looked utterly remorseful as he watches the other boy get wheeled away by the paramedics, and almost frightened as Tony tries to charge at him but is stopped by Luke and Thor. Overall, the score after the second quarter is Disney: 49 and Marvel: 21.

"And that's the end of the first half folks and the start of halftime. Looks like Disney is really pulling all the stops here to maintain its title as champions and Marvel is left in the dust. Whew, it really doesn't look good for the Avengers. Maybe they are really out of their league here."

Dejected, the boys all head into the locker rooms for halftime, along with the coaches. Bruce, Leo, Darcy, and Harley offer some words of encouragement to the players and coaches, but it is no use. So they went back to organizing the gear and refilling the water bottles for the second half. Bruce then heads in with a case of water bottles for the players and both clipboards with the recorded plays for the coaches.

Natasha and the rest of the cheerleaders could only look on in sadness as they watch their boys walk away... looking utterly defeated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's the question of the chapter: what is the craziest kickoff that you've ever seen at the start of a game? It can be high school, college, or pro. 
> 
> For me, the coolest kickoff happened a few years ago during a high school game. The ball was kicked all the way to the endzone, and the player that caught it ran all the way across the field for the first touchdown. It was crazy because before that, I didn't even know that that was possible. My high school team has since done this a few more times, and each time never ceases to amaze me. 
> 
> If you have a story to share, leave them in the comments! I always love reading them and hearing other people's experiences. 
> 
> So until next time!
> 
> ~FD


	4. Halftime - Cheerleaders' Cheer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What do you think is going to happen now?" Harley asks quietly as he watches Tony and the rest of the team go into the locker rooms.
> 
> "I don't know," Darcy says somberly, as she busies herself by putting things away.
> 
> Natasha overhears them talk and frowns. She then looks up to the stands and sees their friends, classmates, and families move about with a slump on their shoulders. They all had such high hopes coming in, and now... no, it can't be like this. If Marvel loses, it will do so with a fight and energy, not in resignation. Steeling her resolve, Natasha turns to face the rest of the cheer squad as they all get their stuff together for their performance, though a few don't look as lively as before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving everyone! In celebration, I've decided to finally update this story. And this time, it's the cheerleaders' time to shine. 
> 
> Quick note: I apologize deeply for any mistakes I may have made in terminology or just describing the performance sequence. I was not a cheerleader in high school, so most of my knowledge had been from watching cheer performances and online research. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope that you guys enjoy. It does get a little cheesy though lol.

"What do you think is going to happen now?" Harley asks quietly as he watches Tony and the rest of the team go into the locker rooms.

"I don't know," Darcy says somberly, as she busies herself by putting things away.

Natasha overhears them talk and frowns. She then looks up to the stands and sees their friends, classmates, and families move about with a slump on their shoulders. They all had such high hopes coming in, and now... no, it can't be like this. If Marvel loses, it will do so with a fight and energy, not in resignation. Steeling her resolve, Natasha turns to face the rest of the cheer squad as they all get their stuff together for their performance, though a few don't look as lively as before.

"Guys! It's not going to end like this!"

"Seems like it is Romanoff," Jessica mutters as she gets her pompoms.

"That's not what I meant," her tone draws in everyone's attention as they turn to face the redhead, including Laura, Victoria, and the remaining coaching assistants.

"Then pray tell, what do you mean?" Sitwell asks exasperatedly, others murmuring in agreement.

"What I mean is that Marvel is stronger than this. The guys worked so hard to get here, and so what if they are a few points behind? They can make it back in the second half. But they are going to need our cheers and our support. No, they're going to need all of _their_ support," she gestures to the downcast crowds.

"But what can we do?" Katya, a small freshman asks timidly.

"Are you kidding me?" everyone turns to Pepper as she goes over and throws an arm over Natasha's shoulders, "We're cheerleaders! It's our job to make the crowds cheer and go crazy."

"Exactly," Natasha nods, and a look of determination spreads across her face, "If we can get these fans cheering and alive again, then that might just be what the guys need to win this thing. Listen, I believe that our guys can win, but if they don't, then it's not going to be like this. They deserve to have a strong school and community standing behind them all the way till the bitter end. So don't think about what Disney is doing. It's not about competing, it's about getting the crowds riled up and ready with their full support for the boys," She looks into each of their eyes and places her hand forward, "Who's with me?!"

"You can count on me Nat," Pepper says, placing her own hand on top of her friend's.

The rest of the cheer squad at first look hesitant, but then slowly, smiles and confident smirks begin to emerge.

"I'm in," Jane says with a bright smile.

"As am I," Sif adds.

Then, each member of the cheer squad places their hand in the center. They then open up a little for their coach, Laura, Darcy, Leo, and Harley.

"We can do this! Let's cheer for our guys!" Natasha exclaims.

"One! Two! Three! Marvel!" the cheer squad, with renewed vigor, get ready for their turn to perform.

* * *

The crowd could sense the cheerleaders' changed demeanor, and a few near the front could hear parts of Natasha's quick, motivational speech. This lifted their spirits albeit by a little, and most return to their seats with a small smile.

"She's right," Jemma says softly to her friend Betty, who nods in agreement.

"We cannot give up now!" Betty then passes the word to the person next to her, who is Wanda, who then texts everyone else the same message. Gradually, the crowd for Marvel becomes more determined and confident of their victory.

* * *

Down on the field, the cheerleaders can feel the crowd warming up again and nod to each other. They then sit back and watch the Disney cheerleaders as they get onto the field.

The Disney cheerleaders, also known as the Disney Princesses, were the finalists in the National Cheer Competition and would have taken the win if it weren't for one of their captains falling and breaking her leg right in the middle of performing. However, from the said girl's performance now, it doesn't even look as if she had even sprained an ankle.

In fact, all the Disney Princesses' movements are smooth, coordinated, and amazingly executed. Three of their most acrobatic cheerleaders, Mulan, Ariel, and Rapunzel, climb onto the shoulders of their teammates, and each perform a solid spin and flips in the air. Their newest member, Moana, does a triple backflip as if it wasn't anything, followed by a somersault in the air. And their queen, Elsa, shines above them all, dancing gracefully in unison with the others, doing flips and jumps with her sister, and, of course, she ends at the top of their pyramid with a pure, white smile on her face.

The crowd on Disney's side cheer loudly for their performance, "Disney! Disney! Disney!" and even some from Marvel's side can clap for them on a job well done. Their show is amazing, and they are set to win Nationals this year. But now it's Marvel's turn to show them how it's done.

With a final nod, Natasha and the rest of the cheer team stand up and head to the center, right over the NFL logo. Going into formation, each with pompoms in their hands, they all bend their heads down and wait.

"1…2…3!"

"We are Marvel, and we're proud! We've got skills and we're loud!" The crowds on both sides are immediately confused at the simple performance and quiet down. The music hasn't even been turned on yet, and all they are doing is moving in unison and waving their pompoms around. Some students from Marvel try to clap, but it just came off as awkward. The cheerleaders, however, didn't seem to notice as they continue, "And if you cross our path then watch OUT!" There is a pause and the crowd holds their breath as the cheerleaders stand still, their heads down once again.

""Cause WE ARE MARVEL!" Natasha yells at the top of her lungs, and on that cue, the music starts up, and the cheerleaders throw their pompoms aside, posing with hands on their hips. They then go into an energetic dance sequence in almost perfect unison, doing Double Nines and Toe Touches together as one. Then Katya, Pepper, and Natasha climb onto their friends' shoulders and jump into a spiral, landing back perfectly before jumping with a twist of the body, only to fall right back into their friends' arms.

They disperse, and while some go into their dance routine, Sitwell performs a solid triple backflip that ends with a backward flip in the air. Sif then goes into a handstand, and Jane and Jessica soar above her, doing a forward flip. The crowd goes even crazier when Sif goes onto one hand. The others, in the meantime, line up and begin doing a chorus line dance to the music. As Sif flips back onto her feet, the cheerleaders at the ends of the line break off in their own style, some by flipping, and others by leaping gracefully and prancing forward.

They then all gather around Sif to form a circle. Soon, Sharon, Claire, and Skye emerge from the circle and stood on top of their friends' shoulders, linking arms to stabilize themselves and form another base. Then from their circle, Pepper and Jane emerge and stand atop the three's shoulders. Then with a final boost, Natasha, along with little Katya sitting on her shoulders, are lifted up until Natasha is standing on Jane and Pepper's linked arms. In Katya's hands is a glowing "A" with a circling arrow behind it.

The crowds are on their feet cheering like there is no tomorrow, "Marvel! Marvel! Marvel! Marvel!"

Natasha is panting from the exertion, but she has never felt more accomplished. As she stands there, she feels like she is on top of the world. And she just hopes that in those locker rooms, the boys can hear their school's chant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question of the chapter: What was the most memorable halftime show you can remember from high school, or college?
> 
> Mine was in high school, and during the marching band's performance, our small dance team went into an epic dance sequence that matched the epic battle-like music. The performance was one of the best ones I'd seen, and the best part was when some of the band members jumped as well and also played a role in the story of battle, loss, and hope.
> 
> Share your story in the comments below, and please leave a comment!


	5. The Last Half

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Steve looks around the room, he could see some of his teammates' surrendered looks, their demeanors the complete opposite of what they were coming onto the field earlier. Some were even crying, though tried to hide it from their friends. 'They had all came in with so much life and confidence in themselves and in each other,' Steve thinks to himself. Flashes of their times together: the practices, the victories, the cheers of their community as they bring Marvel up from the gutters, all run through his memory. He even remembers the day when the school changed the team mascot to the Avengers, a name obviously proposed by both Fury and Tony. For some of them, this is their last game together and…
> 
> …Steve couldn't stand it anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya readers! Hope that everyone is having a wonderful Winter Break (if you are a student like me lol), and/or had a great holiday season. It's also NFL Sunday, so I thought, eh...why not post the next updated chapter for this fic (honestly though, anything is better than watching a certain team embarrass themselves again *cough cough* Pats *cough cough*)
> 
> I don't really have much to say for this chapter, other than apologies for any odd plays, rules, etc. I tried my best to fix some minor inconsistencies, but I did not want to change it too much from the original. There's only really one big "major" change, but it doesn't impact the story much at all. 
> 
> With that said, I hope you enjoy.

In the visiting team locker room, the boys are sitting around despondently, some sipping drinks handed out by Bruce while others are doing some miscellaneous tasks to past the time. As soon as they got into the locker room, all the coaches and Maria gathered for a quick meeting to discuss some changes and go over what's already been done, but they don't sound that optimistic.

The cheers and laughter, obviously from Disney, echoed into the room, taunting the Marvel players. Sam grunts and looks down, doing his best to block it out and focus on relaxing. Drax, a massive junior, punches a nearby locker, almost denting it, and curses.

Bucky, in the meantime, is doing some tai chi to try to relax, while Clint comforts a distraught Pietro. Thor is leaning against the wall in a far corner with his friends and is surprisingly silent. This brooding mood is a far cry from the young man's cheery personality. Tony is, of course, on his smartphone, going over his SnapChat and Instagram feeds, all full of posts about Disney winning and Marvel losing. Sighing, Tony thinks that it's about time he renames that party of his.

The rest of the guys suddenly all look up at a particularly loud cheer, but then all look back down.

It's over.

As Steve looks around the room, he could see some of his teammates' surrendered looks, their demeanors the complete opposite of what they were coming onto the field earlier. Some were even crying, though tried to hide it from their friends. _'They had all came in with so much life and confidence in themselves and in each other,'_ Steve thinks to himself. Flashes of their times together: the practices, the victories, the cheers of their community as they bring Marvel up from the gutters, all run through his memory. He even remembers the day when the school changed the team mascot to the Avengers, a name obviously proposed by both Fury and Tony. For some of them, this is their last game together and…

…Steve couldn't stand it anymore. Slamming his foot down and thus startling some of his teammates, Steve speaks up, not realizing that at the same time, Natasha is giving a speech of her own.

"No! This can't be how it ends! We've worked too hard to get here, and we are not just going to give up now!"

"Pfft, you're delusional Rogers," Grant grunts as he shakes his head.

"Going to have to agree with Ward on that one, Roge," Brock adds almost with a smirk, having the gall to casually lean back against the lockers, "they have 28 points over us…"

"And we are going to get it back!"

"How Cap?" a sophomore, named Danny Rand, asks timidly.

Steve looks over at both Sam and Bucky, the latter of whom had stopped his exercise to hear what Steve has to say. Even Bruce is standing with rapt attention. They all nod, and Steve calms himself down a little before turning and facing the rest of his waiting teammates, "Because I know we can. Sure things may seem bad now, and it may look as if the odds are stacked against us, pushing us to give up. But we cannot… we _will not_. We represent an entire school, no an _entire community_ ….and they are relying on  _us_ to win. We are stronger than this. It doesn't matter what our opponents say, it doesn't matter what the doubters or haters say, heck it doesn't even matter what the commentators say. We must stand firm, and not let any of them tell us to move or give in.

"Instead, let's tell  _them_  to move! But first, we have to believe in ourselves. We have to believe that we can't fail. We won't fail! If we work together!" Steve looks into the eyes of all of his teammates and friends, and sees the fire in their eyes, "We'll  _win_  together!"

"Yeah!" everyone jumps up and cheers, all with renewed vigor as they all nod and scream with newfound energy. The coaches had come back in just in time to hear the last part of the speech, and they too joined in. Even Maria and Fury smiled widely as they cheered.

Suddenly, the chants for Marvel can be heard drifting into the locker room, and it is like music to their ears. _"Marvel!_   _Marvel!_ _Marvel!_ _Marvel!_ _Marvel!_ "

All the guys smile upon hearing their chants, and all stand at attention as Coach Fury reviews the plays once again along with certain changes.

* * *

In no time at all, the boys are running back onto the field with the loud cheers of the crowd accompanying them. The crowds can just feel the change in their team, and this spurs them to chant even louder than ever. Their louder chants fill the boys with new hope and confidence as they face the Disney team, as they too head back onto the field. Steve smirks at Disney's obvious shock at the sight and swears that some of their players cringed at how angry and empowered they have become, all ready to avenge for the first half.

The game is on.

Marvel has the ball first in the 3rd quarter, and Quill caught the ball, managing to run to the 30-yard line in Disney territory.

"Let's do Winter's Run B-2!" Maria signals the guys, and they all line up in formation.

"Set! Hut! Hut!" and in no time, the ball is in Steve's open hands. Bucky rushes past and takes the ball from Steve's hands, attempting to run through the wall, but is stopped there.

Not deterred, Marvel tries again and again, but sadly has to call in Lincoln to punt the ball. "It's okay…we can still do this… _"_   Steve whispers quietly as he watches the defense line up and Coulson step up.

As Charming catches the ball, he looks for his trusted wide receivers. However, he is forced to move out of his pocket to dodge an incoming Hogun, but the said Asian boy is able to quickly catch up and tackle Charming to the ground. The sack sends the crowds roaring as Hogun is bombarded by Thor, Volstagg, and Frandral. Disney, however, is able to get close enough for an attempt at a field goal kicked by Simba, but it is blocked by Mack.

"Alright, come on! Offense, lets go!" Fury yells at the defense to get off as the offense takes the field once again. Pietro has once again joined the team and has taken Clint's place this time. "Sliver streak D-8!"

Steve hears the play and throws a perfect deep ball right over everyone's heads, which lands squarely into Pietro's waiting arms. Not missing a beat, the fastest player on the team weaves through the Disney defense, not even looking back as Aldrich rams an incoming Adam Beast to the ground. He is now so close to the end zone.

His foot just touches the 5-yard line when it happened. It was so quick, his mind couldn't even process it. As the Disney defense begins to rush in on him, one player manages to tackle him from behind. They tumbled, and that's when he felt it.  _Crack!_ He could only let out a gasp as he finally rolls to a stop. The ball, while still in his hand, lands just an inch into the end zone.

He couldn't hear the ref's whistle blow… his teammates' worried yells…his sister's screams as she runs to the field…the fight as Drax punches the guy that tackled him…nor Helen's questions as she inspects him. He didn't even realize that he had let out a blood-curdling scream when Helen lightly touches his leg. Then, his whole world went dark.

Steve could not believe that it had happened again, yet it did. Another one of his teammates is wheeled out of the stadium on a stretcher. He could not help but feel boiling hot rage flood his veins as he watches Pietro get wheeled away. He could see Wanda as she meets her brother at the ambulance, and her cries are just too painful to hear. He could see all his teammates as they kneeled for another injured teammate and the cheerleaders as they looked down. It was the comforting pat on the shoulder from Bucky that snaps Steve out of his reverie, but Steve could see how his best friend is glaring daggers at Gaston, who is now benched.

After getting their extra point, Disney now has the ball, and Thor just relishes the slightly frightened looks of the Disney players as they face off against the enraged Marvel players. That play, Disney did not even get a chance for another first down and were quickly forced to punt the ball. And that ended the third quarter.

"Can't believe we lost two of our comrades," Thor mutters, fuming as he steps into the sidelines.

"Yea. Man, when I get my hands on that son of a…"

"Clint. Don't," Steve says harshly as he is about to step into a huddle, "We're better than that."

"Pfft, whatever," Clint grumbles. In his head, he is thinking of several ways to accidentally hit that smirking Gaston with one of his arrows.

The fourth quarter started off in Marvel's favor. In no time at all, offense managed to gain one more touchdown, and Tony managed to intercept another in the next play, which is followed by a swift touchdown. The crowd for Marvel has never been louder and no one could sit down. The cheerleaders are also on their feet and practically buzzing with energy. They are so close now, just one more touchdown, and it's a tie.

Marvel once again has the ball. "Cold Force Run W-1!"

Steve and the guys line up, and the ball is in his hand. He immediately hands the ball to Bucky and pretends to throw it in the opposite direction. The ruse lasted just long enough for Bucky to get by the wall and make a run for the end zone. He is spotted by Hercules, and the large boy is immediately on Bucky's tail. By some miraculous burst of speed, Hercules is right next to Bucky and is about to shove Bucky to the sideline, but by some innate reflex and a shot of adrenaline, Bucky didn't even realize he uses his mechanical arm to intercept. Flesh arm meets mechanical, and the result is a scream from the Disney student as he recoils and collapses on his knees, clutching his broken arm. Bucky didn't think or turn back, he only knew to run to the end zone and get that touchdown.

When he did, the haze finally clears, and he can see his teammates rush to him, some are happy, while others look like they're holding something back.

"Wha…what happened?" Bucky asks groggily.

Before Steve or anyone else can say anything, another voice joins in, "We'll tell you what happened." Bucky and the Marvel group tense as they watch a group of Disney students come over, all of whom are at varying levels of fury.

The one who spoke up, Flynn, growls, "You guys have some nerve! Using a robotic arm! Are you s**tting me!"

"Look, it was an accident," Steve speaks up, trying to be reasonable.

"Actually, I think that it's fair. You sent one…no… _two_  of our players to the hospital, or did you forget?!" Brock sneers, anger clearly evident in his voice.

"Well, at least we didn't cheat and used an obviously enhanced ARM!" Another kid, this time a firey, red-headed cheerleader screeches, her Scottish accent almost making it hard to understand her. She looks as if she is about to claw out Bucky's eyes, but is held back by Kristoff.

"He practically snapped Herc's arm!"

"You broke Pietro's leg!"

"He should not be playing!"

"Just because he has a prosthetic?!"

"You guys are nothing but f**king cheaters!"

"Since when is it cheating to use a prosthetic to play!"

As Disney and Marvel students begin yelling at each other and getting into an all out brawl, a horrified Bucky looks down at his hands, mainly his robotic one, and grimaces. Steve has given up on trying to stop the fight and leaves it to the refs and coaches. He then turns to his friend and slowly guides him away and off the field.

"It's not your fault Buck…"

"I couldn't stop…I didn't mean to…"

"Of course you didn't. In that situation, anyone would have reacted the way you did."

"But I knew I wasn't supposed to. I've spent hours training and…"

"Buck…it was an accident…this is football…"

"But I still hurt him, Steve. I think I'll sit out the rest of the game…"

Turns out, Bucky did not have a choice in the matter. Since there has been no set rules for using a prosthetic in football, no official penalties are issued other than some personal fouls, and most are for the fight. Marvel still kept their 6 points, but is not allowed to try for an extra. And since Bucky broke his signed agreement about the usage of his prosthetic arm, he has to be benched for the rest of the game. The refs also gave a stern warning with each team about their playing, stating that three players have now been sent to the hospital, and both would be severely punished if there is another.

In the next few plays, neither side wavered and neither side scored a single point. Marvel's offense took a beating, having lost several of its members, but the back-ups are just as able as the starters, especially Marvel's secret weapon, Matt Murdock. Being blind, many people underestimate what the young man can do, but he proves them wrong each and every time he successfully runs the ball through the throngs of defensive players using his gift of echolocation. Even Fury had to do a double take during try-outs when a relatively medium-built, blind boy signed up for the football team and ran the fastest out of his age group through a group of defensive linemen and obstacles. It also took a lot of convincing to allow the boy to play, and it's a decision Marvel is glad they made.

However, even with Matt's skills, Marvel still remain behind Disney by 1 point. They tried several times for a field goal, but they were either too far or Disney blocked.

It is frustrating to say the least.

There's now only a minute left in the game, and Disney has punted the ball. After a quick huddle, the boys line up, and Coach Fury makes the call, "Falcon Run B-3!"

They get ready. Steve is able to successfully pass the ball to Sam, and they gained a first down. This is followed by several more successful passes before they made it to the red zone.

"Devil's Play F-1!"

Steve has the ball and covertly hands it to Matt, who makes a run for it, only to be stopped by Wreckit.

"Spider A-2!"

Steve tries to find the small wide receiver and believes he found him. However, Peter could not catch the ball, and it is incomplete.

With only seconds left, this is their last try for victory. Fury and Maria scour over their tables until Maria suggests a daring move. They are at the end zone with very little time left. They have to try it.

"American Blitz A-1!"

Steve is shocked at the decision, but he trusts Fury and Maria. He lines up, and the final down begins. "Ready!" he lifts his leg up by just an inch, then puts it back down, "Set! Hut! Hut!"

The next moments slowed down as the ball falls into Steve's hands. He clutches it tightly, and with the clock in the last few seconds, he runs.

He dashes to the left and finds the opening he needs. As he runs, he sees Adam coming at him but is stopped by Brock. Steve smirks and keeps his eyes forward at his goal. He is so close now.

The Disney kids see what Steve is doing, and three guys launch themselves at him, latching onto his body to drag him down. Knowing that he isn't going to make it, Steve closes his eyes, leaps forward, and extends his arms with the ball as he falls to the ground.

The crowds are still, and no one dared to breathe. The refs have to move several players and dig Steve out from underneath a massive pile-on.

The whistle blows...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who will win?
> 
> I'd changed Pietro's accident because, after re-reading it, it didn't feel right to me, and I thought that some players would've had padding to prevent injuries like that from happening. Now, the gears are not perfect body armors by any means, but I just felt like that hit may not have as much an impact as I had originally thought. So I decided to change it to model a similar accident that I once saw my sophomore year of high school when one player got hit so bad his leg snapped. He had to spend the rest of the school year healing, and it was pretty bad.
> 
> As for Steve's speech in the locker room, the inspiration came from both Steve's iconic Civil War speech to Spiderman in the comics and Shiro's speech during the pilot episode of 'Voltron: Legendary Defender'. It's pretty cheesy, but then again, a lot of inspirational sports speeches are kinda cheesy too, right?
> 
> And speaking of speeches, what's your favorite sports movie/TV show/anime/cartoon inspirational locker room speech?
> 
> Leave your answer in the comments below. 
> 
> And as always, thanks for reading!


	6. It All Ends Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next moments slowed down as the ball falls into Steve's hands. He clutches it tightly, and with the clock in the last few seconds, he runs.
> 
> He dashes to the left and finds the opening he needs. As he runs, he sees Adam coming at him but is stopped by Brock. Steve smirks and keeps his eyes forward at his goal. He is so close now.
> 
> The Disney kids see what Steve is doing, and three guys launch themselves at him, latching onto his body to drag him down. Knowing that he isn't going to make it, Steve closes his eyes, leaps forward, and extends his arms with the ball as he falls to the ground.
> 
> The crowds are still, and no one dared to breathe. The refs have to move several players and dig Steve out from underneath a massive pile-on.
> 
> The whistle blows...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sheepish* Hey there guys...
> 
> ....so...this chapter was definitely supposed to have been posted earlier, preferably when the Super Bowl was running. But school kept me very very busy and I nearly forgot about this lol. 
> 
> Well, I don't want to delay this any longer. Please enjoy this final chapter!

...and the refs raise both their arms. _Touchdown!_

The Marvel crowd goes ballistic, but even they could not beat the yells and cheers from the players as they rush towards Steve. Sam grabs onto the stunned teen still on the ground and pulls him up before giving him a solid hug. One hug eventually becomes a massive group hug as all the players crowd around their quarterback.

"And it's a touchdown! Marvel wins! That's right, you heard it here folks! Marvel takes the championship for the first time since its Golden Years back in the 1940s!"

The crowd goes all the more crazy, some leaping from their seats. Students chanted, parents hugged family members, and all had tears of happiness as they watch Steve hold up the trophy for all to see. Even some from the Disney side could not help but clap and congratulate the team, joining in good sportsmanship.

As Steve and his teammates head back to the sidelines, they are stopped by the same Disney group from before, this time with Charming in front, "Um…congrats Steve, that was an awesome run."

"Thanks…" Steve says shyly, but shakes the slightly smaller boy's hand, "We're sorry for hurting your friend, Buck really didn't mean to…"

"Yea…and we didn't mean to hurt two of your guys either…" it was slightly awkward, but a truce is made between the groups, as both nod in understanding of what the other is trying to convey.

The two teams eventually line up to shake each other's hands, each congratulating the other on a great game to end a successful season. On the sidelines, the cheerleaders and assistants jump around with excitement as they wait for the guys to come back.

Pepper didn't even wait that long, and neither did Jane and Laura, as they all run up to their respective boyfriends and give them each a massive hug, not caring about the sweat or dirt on their uniforms. Darcy, Leo, and Harley all embraced, and when Ian comes running back onto the sidelines, Darcy grabs him by the lapel of his jacket and kisses him hard on the lips. The poor, stunned boy could only grin like an idiot as Darcy laughs, "You may not be Goff, but you're still adorable."

Bruce and Leo, in the meantime, meet up with Betty and Jemma respectively, as they all join in on the celebration and cheers. Harley decides to hang back a bit and gags at some of the PDA around him.

Meanwhile, Natasha shyly walks up to Steve as he too walks up to her, their friends giving them room as well as some privacy.

"So…you did it..." Natasha says, timidly brushing a loose lock of red hair behind her ear.

"Yea…"

"Told you you could win, ya big dummy," she says with a mock punch to his shoulder. He could barely feel it through the padding, but he still recoils anyway with a chuckle.

"I know…you always did know more than me…"

"That's because I'm smarter than you, duh…"

Steve chuckles some more bashfully. He then rocks on his heels as he looks at anything other than his friend, a far cry from his earlier confidence on the field, "So…um…I was wondering….if well…if you uh…didn't …have any plans for later…"

"Are you asking me out, Rogers?" Natasha asks with a smirk, yet her eyes still hold some hope.

"Yes…" Steve could barely let out another word before Natasha jumps up into his arms, while wrapping her own arms around his neck. She nearly knocks him over, and he has to drop his helmet to pick her up.

"I would love to…" Natasha says breathlessly, which made Steve laugh with pure joy. Nat swoons a little when she hears it.

A whistle from behind reminds the two that they are far from alone, "Well, it's about time you two," Darcy announces what's on everyone's mind, as they all laugh at their two blushing friends, who quickly separated.

"Yeah man, what took you so long?" Sam laughs as he throws his arm over Steve's shoulders.

"Maybe it took winning the frickin' championships to get him the courage to ask a girl out. Way ta go punk," Bucky says as he too throws his arm over Steve's shoulders on the other side.

"Guys, seriously," Steve is bright red now, prompting his friends to burst into laughter.

"Hey, guys! The 'Yea-we-just-won-the-f**king-championships-for-the-first-time-in years' party still on!" Tony exclaims at the top of his lungs, and all the Marvel students cheer. There is still one person Steve wants to thank, and it did not take long until he found him at the edge of the group, brooding as usual even amidst all the celebration.

"Brock…"

"Steve…"

The two young men just stared at each other, both not knowing what to say to the other. Steve eventually speaks up, "I uh…I just wanted to thank you for back there…"

"Don't flatter yourself, Rogers," Brock grunts as he turns away, "I didn't do it for you. I did it for the win. Besides, it's my job on the team, right?"

"But still…"

"I'll see ya around Rogers…ya did good today," Brock them turns his head to face Steve once more, "I know Marvel is solid for next year…but don't think that we'll be friends in school or anything."

Steve does not even get a chance to say anything as Brock walks away, not even bothering to join the celebrations.

"Don't bother, Steve," Sam says as he walks up to his friend, having seen the whole thing. Steve just shrugs before turning back around and joining his teammates.

The team, along with the coaches, cheerleaders, and assistants, then gather at the center of the field for a final group photo, which is bittersweet since two of their members couldn't be there. Before the picture is taken, Tony raises his fist in the air, "Who are we?!"

"We're Marvel!"

"Who are we?!" Bucky yells.

"Avengers!"

"What are we?!" Steve yells.

"We're  _Champions_!"

* * *

**_After-Credits_ **

_Clint managed to make it to the finals in the decathlon and came in first place. He then made it to the championships and came in third, losing only to Merida from Disney and Legolas from New Line High. He is now in the Marines as he had always hoped for and is happily married to Laura. Their first son is on the way._

_Sam had joined the basketball and baseball teams, bringing both to the championships. He then joined the Army and eventually came back after a tour for a degree in clinical psychology, hoping to help veterans with PTSD._

_Pietro had recovered from his injury, but it left him too weak to play any more sports. Instead, he focused on his schoolwork, and with the aid of his twin sister, eventually made it to college and is now living a comfortable life, keeping in touch with his friends._

_Brock Rumlow dropped out of Marvel a few months after the championship game and joined the Secret Services, or at least…that's what rumors said. His current whereabouts are unknown, and many speculate that he has died…though some of his very few friends believe that he is just out there somewhere, wandering._

_Thor continued to play sports for Marvel, joining the hockey and wrestling teams and bringing them all to the championships. He then went off to college and became co-CEO with his brother, Loki, for their family's business. He married his girlfriend from high school, Jane, who is then a renowned astrophysicist, and the two are living a fairytale life._

_Tony never went back to sports and found his true callings as an engineer, excelling in college in robotics, computer science, engineering, and so much more. He then took over his family's business, but then gave the role of CEO to his girlfriend, Pepper Potts, who he plans to propose to. He even made Bruce his leading scientist in the Project Ultron, and both are still hard at work trying to make the world a better place._

_Maria Hills continued the rest of her school years focused on sports management, and even studied it in college. She eventually became one of the first female head coaches in the NFL, breaking down all the previous expectations by bringing her team to the playoffs._

_Coach Nick Fury stayed with Marvel for several more years before finally retiring. In that time, he brought Marvel two more championship titles. He now lives a simple life in the countryside on his own._

_Bucky eventually got the courage to join a sport once again, this time in wrestling; however, he made sure to never use his robotic arm again. He then joined the Army right after high school and is still serving to this day in the Middle East._

_As for Steve, he joined several more sports from track and field to baseball for Marvel, before following in Bucky's footsteps and joining the Army. There, he rose in the ranks and eventually became captain; however, he left to go back home to his girlfriend, Natasha, and study art in college. He is now a successful art professor at Universal University._

_But no matter where life took these young men and women, no one could forget that one championship that finally put Marvel in the spotlight and made them champions._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Hehe...tha...thathatha...that's all folks!!
> 
> Thank you all so much for making it to the very end!! Also special thanks to everyone who's left reviews and kudos for this silly little fic! Of course, as I'd mentioned, I was really hoping to post this during Super Bowl Sunday, but I ended up being busier than I thought. 
> 
> Speaking of the Super Bowl...what did everyone think? Were you shocked by the Chiefs winning? I know I was lol. 
> 
> With that, this is farewell for now. Until next time! This is FD, signing out. 
> 
> Peace!

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Let me know what you think in the comments. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Also, follow me on:  
> Twitter - [@SerephinaD](https://twitter.com/SerephinaD)  
> Tumblr - [The Dragon Writer](https://serephinadraco.tumblr.com/)
> 
> ~FD


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